Semiconductor devices having tensile and/or compressive strain and methods of manufacturing and design structure

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device having a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices and design structure to enhance channel strain. The method includes forming a gate structure for an NFET and a PFET and forming sidewalls on the gate structure for the NFET and the PFET using a same deposition and etching process. The method also includes providing stress materials in the source and drain regions of the NFET and the PFET.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 12/054,699, filed on Mar. 25, 2008, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices andmethods of manufacturing the same, and more specifically, tosemiconductor devices having a tensile and/or compressive strain appliedthereto and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices and adesign structure to enhance channel strain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mechanical strains within a semiconductor device substrate can modulatedevice performance by, for example, increasing the mobility of thecarriers in the semiconductor device. That is, strains within asemiconductor device are known to enhance semiconductor devicecharacteristics. Thus, to improve the characteristics of a semiconductordevice, tensile and/or compressive strains are created in the channel ofthe n-type devices (e.g., NFETs) and/or p-type devices (e.g., PFETs),respectively. However, the same strain component, for example tensilestrain or compressive strain, improves the device characteristics of onetype of device (i.e., n-type device or p-type device) whilediscriminatively affecting the characteristics of the other type device.

Accordingly, in order to maximize the performance of both NFETs andPFETs within integrated circuit (IC) devices, the strain componentsshould be engineered and applied differently for NFETs and PFETs. Thatis, because the type of strain which is beneficial for the performanceof an NFET is generally disadvantageous for the performance of the PFET.More particularly, when a device is in tension (in the direction ofcurrent flow in a planar device), the performance characteristics of theNFET are enhanced while the performance characteristics of the PFET arediminished.

To increase the strain levels in a device, a SiGe layer has been used incombination with a silicon layer. When epitaxially grown on silicon, anunrelaxed SiGe layer will have a lattice constant that conforms to thatof the silicon substrate. Upon relaxation (through a high temperatureprocess for example), the SiGe lattice constant approaches that of itsintrinsic lattice constant which is larger than that of silicon.Accordingly, when a silicon layer is epitaxially grown on the SiGe, thesilicon layer conforms to the larger lattice constant of the relaxedSiGe layer that results in a physical biaxial strain (e.g., expansion)to the silicon layer. This physical strain applied to the silicon layeris beneficial to the devices. While methods using SiGe provide improveddevice performance, additional and complex processing is required toform the gate structures, liners, spacers, etc. thus resulting in highercost.

Alternatively, to selectively create tensile strain in an NFET andcompressive strain in a PFET, distinctive processes and differentcombinations of materials can be used such as, for example, liners ongate sidewalls. The liners selectively induce the appropriate strain inthe channels of the FET devices. While this provides tensile strain tothe NFET device and compressive strain along the longitudinal directionof the PFET device, they still require additional materials and/or morecomplex processing, and thus, result in higher cost. For example,additional processing steps are needed to form the gate structures forboth the NFET and PFET type devices.

Thus, it is desired to provide more cost-effective and simplifiedmethods for creating tensile and compressive strains in the channels ofthe NFETs and PFETs, respectively. Accordingly, there exists a need inthe art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations describedhereinabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention, a method of forming a semiconductorstructure comprises forming a gate structure for an NFET and a PFET. Themethod further comprises forming sidewalls on the gate structure for theNFET and the PFET using a same deposition and etching process. Themethod also comprises providing stress materials in the source and drainregions of the NFET and the PFET.

In embodiments, recesses are formed in the source and drain regions ofthe NFET and the PFE in a single masking process. The stress materialsare grown in the recesses. The recesses are formed by an etchingprocess. Additional etching of the recesses of the NFET is performed inorder to make the recesses of the NFET deeper than the recesses of thePFET.

In further embodiments, the recesses are filled with a single type ofstress material. The NFET or the PFET are blocked and the single type ofstress material in an unblocked NFET or PFET is removed to reformrecesses. The reformed recesses are filled with a different type ofstress material. The single type of stress material is eSiGe, thedifferent type of stress material is eSi:C, and the removing of thestress material is performed for the NFET.

In another embodiment, the single type of stress material is eSi:C, thedifferent type of stress material is eSiGe and the removing the stressmaterial is performed for the PFET. The reformed recesses are etched toa depth greater than the recesses. The stress materials are eSiGe forthe PFET and eSi:C for the NFET. The stress materials are grown to apredetermined depth in the recesses.

In an additional aspect of the invention, a method of enhancing deviceperformance comprises forming a gate structure for an NFET and a PFETand forming sidewalls on the gate structure for the NFET and the PFETusing a same deposition and etching process. The method furthercomprises forming recesses in the source and drain regions of the NFETand the PFET, and filling the recesses for the source and drain regionsof the NFET with a first type of stress material and the source anddrain regions of the PFET with a second type of stress material.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method comprises: forming a gatestructure for an NFET and a PFET by patterning a dielectric material, agate material and a cap material; forming sidewalls on the gatestructure for the NFET and the PFET using a same deposition and etchingprocess; forming recesses in the source and drain regions of the NFETand the PFET; filling the recesses with a first type of stress material;protecting one of the NFET and the PFET; etching out the first type ofstress material in the unblocked one of the NFET and the PFET to reformrecesses; and filling in the reformed recesses with a second type ofstress material, different than the first type of stress material.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a design structure embodied in amachine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing anintegrated circuit, the design structure comprises: forming a gatestructure for an NFET and a PFET; forming sidewalls on the gatestructure for the NFET and the PFET using a same deposition and etchingprocess; and providing stress materials in the source and drain regionsof the NFET and the PFET.

In a further aspect of the invention, structure comprises gatestructures for an NFET and a PFET having identically formed sidewalls.Stress materials are formed in recesses in source and drain regions ofthe NFET and the PFET. In embodiments, the stress material for the NFETis eSi:C and the stress material for the PFET is eSiGe. The stressmaterial for the NFET is at a depth greater than the stress material forthe PFET.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in the detailed description whichfollows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a beginning structure in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 2-6 show intermediate structures and respective processing stepsfor forming a strained device in accordance with aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 7 shows a final structure and respective processing steps inaccordance with an aspect of the invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 show intermediate structures and respective processingsteps for forming an alternative strained device in accordance withdifferent aspects of the invention;

FIG. 10 shows a final structure and respective processing steps forforming an alternative strained device in accordance with differentaspects of the invention; and

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of an exemplary design flow used forexample, in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and/or test.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices andmethods of manufacturing, and more specifically, to semiconductordevices having a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto andmethods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices and a designstructure to enhance channel strain. In embodiments, stress materials,i.e., eSi:C and eSiGe, in the source and drain regions of NFET and PFETdevices, respectively, are provided to improve the channel strain. Also,in embodiments, spacers for the gates of both NFET and PFET devices areformed using same deposition and etching processes thus significantlyreducing manufacturing costs by using less processing steps thanconventional fabrication methods. By forming the spacers in the samefabrication steps, it is possible to form identical spacers for both anNFET and a PFET. Also, advantageously, the methods of the inventioneliminate damage in the strained material and prevent strain relaxationdue to exposure of eSi:C and eSiGe to an etching process.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional starting structure and respective processingsteps for foaming both an NFET and PFET in accordance with theinvention. The starting structure includes, for example, shallow trenchisolation (STI) structures 12 isolating areas of a wafer 10. The wafer10 can be any conventional wafer material such as, for example, bulk Si,SOI or a hybrid of bulk Si and SOI. The STI structures 12 can befabricated using any conventional type processes. For example, alithography and subsequent etching process can be used to selectivelyprovide trenches in the wafer 10. The trenches are then filled withoxide, for example, to form the STI structures 12.

A gate structure is formed on the wafer 10, between STI structures 12.The gate structure is fabricated using conventional deposition,lithographic and etching processes. By way of one non-limitingillustration, a gate dielectric material 14 such as, for example,silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, high-k material, orany combination of these materials, is deposited on the wafer 10.Although not critical to the understanding of the invention, the gatedielectric material can range in thickness from about 10 Å to 200 Å. Agate material 16 is deposited on the gate dielectric material 14. Thegate material 16 can be polysilicon, a metal (e.g., titanium), a metalalloy (e.g., titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, tungsten silicide,titanium silicide, cobalt silicide, nickel silicide), or any combinationof those materials. A cap material 18 (e.g., nitride) is deposited onthe gate material 16. In subsequent processes, the gate materials 14,16, 18 are patterned using conventional processes, e.g., lithography andetching, to form the gate structures of the NFET and the PFETsimultaneously.

Spacers 20 are formed on the side of the gate structure. In embodiments,the spacers 20 are nitride material and can be formed on both the NFETand PFET using the same deposition and etching processes. By forming thespacers in the same fabrication processes, it is possible to formidentical spacers for both an NFET and a PFET. Alternatively, spacers 20may comprise other materials, including but not limited to, oxide,oxynitride, carbide, or low-k materials. A combination of the materialsis also contemplated by the present invention. By way of example, inembodiments, a nitride layer is deposited over the entire structure andthen etched using a reactive ion etching (RIE). As should be understoodby those of skill in the art, the RIE will etch the lateral surfaces ofthe nitride, with minimal etching on the vertical surfaces (surfaces onthe vertical sides of the gate structure). In this way, nitride spacers20 can be formed simultaneously on both the NFET and PFET using the samedeposition and etching processes.

FIG. 2 shows the formation of recesses 22 in the source and drainregions of both the PFET and the NFET. In embodiments, the recesses 22can be formed using a conventional RIE, wet etch, or both. Inembodiments, the RIE will be a selective etch, as should be understoodby those of skill in the art. In embodiments, the recesses 22 can rangein thickness depending on the particular application. For example, therecesses 22 can range in depth from about 100 Å to 1000 Å. In morepreferred embodiments, the recesses can range in depth from about 300 Åto 500 Å. In any scenario, the depth of the recesses 22 can be adjustedto a specific depth to tune of the strain applied to the devices (NFETand PFET).

FIG. 3 shows further fabrication steps in accordance with the invention.In contemplated embodiments, the recesses 22 are filled with a stressmaterial 24. In one embodiment, the stress material 24 is eSiGe formedby any suitable epitaxial growth method, for example, chemical vapordeposition (CVD) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The concentration ofgermanium in the eSiGe can vary to tune the strain to PFET. For example,the atomic concentration of germanium in the eSiGe may range from about1% to 50%, and about 20% to 40% is preferred. In another contemplatedembodiment, the stress material 24 is eSi:C. The concentration of carbonin the eSi:C can vary to tune the strain to NFET. For example, theatomic concentration of carbon in the eSi:C may range from about 0.1% to10%, and about 1% to 2% is preferred. It is preferred, though, thateSiGe is initially provided in the recesses 22 as it is more robust tosubsequent annealing processes. Depending on the desired straincomponent, the stress material 24 can be grown to different heights,e.g., above the surface of the wafer 10, coplanar with the surface ofthe wafer 10 or below a surface of the wafer 10. For example, toincrease a strain on the device the stress material 24 will be grown toabove the surface of the wafer 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, a mask layer 26 (e.g., oxide) is formed over one ofthe devices by conventional deposition and patterning methods. Inembodiments, the mask 26 is formed over the PFET when the recesses arefilled with eSiGe. However, in alternate embodiments, the mask 26 can beformed over the NFET when the recesses are filled with eSi:C. In eitherscenario, the mask 26 will protect the stress material 24 within therecesses of the respective FET during subsequent etching steps.

As shown in FIG. 5, the unprotected stress material is removed from therecesses. This forms recesses 28. In embodiments, the depth of therecesses 28 is the same as the depth of the original recesses 22;although other depths are also contemplated by the invention (See, FIG.8). Although not shown, the recesses 28 can be foamed in the source anddrain regions of the PFET when the stress material is eSi:C.

As shown in FIG. 6, the recesses 28 are filled with a second type ofstress material 30. Again, depending the desired strain concentration,the stress material 30 can be grown to different heights, e.g., abovethe surface of the wafer 10, coplanar with the surface of the wafer 10or below a surface of the wafer 10. For example, to increase a strain onthe device, the stress material 24 will be grown to above the surface ofthe wafer 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the stress material 30is eSi:C formed by any suitable epitaxial growth method, for example,chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Theconcentration of carbon in the eSi:C can vary to tune the strain toNFET. For example, the atomic concentration of carbon in the eSi:Cranges from about 0.1% to 10%, and about 1% to 2% is preferred. In analternate embodiment, when the stress material formed in the recess 22is eSi:C, the stress material 30 will be eSiGe.

As shown in FIG. 7, the mask is removed to form the final structure. Inthis embodiment, the PFET has a first type of stress material 24 (e.g.,eSiGe) and the NFET has a second type of stress material 30 (e.g.,eSi:C). Both of the stress materials 24, 30 have a bottom surface at thesame or substantially the same depth.

FIG. 8 shows an alternative structure and processing step in accordancewith an aspect of the invention. In this embodiment, after the sameprocess step of FIG. 4 in the previous embodiment, the exposed wafer inthe NFET region is further recessed after removing the eSiGe from theNFET region, resulting in deeper recesses 28 a than in the previouslydescribed embodiment. The PFET region is covered by masking layer 26during removing the eSiGe from NFET region. The recesses 28 a can beformed in a single RIE process when removing the stress material or,alternatively, in separate etching steps.

As shown in FIG. 9, the recesses 28 a are filled with the stressmaterial 30, e.g., eSi:C. More specifically, eSi:C is grown in therecesses 28 a. Again, depending the desired strain concentration, thestress material 30 can be grown to different heights, e.g., above thesurface of the wafer 10, coplanar with the surface of the wafer 10 orbelow a surface of the wafer 10. For example, to increase a strain onthe device, the stress material 24 will be grown to above the surface ofthe wafer 10. Also, as the recesses 28 a are deeper than the recesses22, the stress material 30 will be deeper than the stress material 24.

As shown in FIG. 10, the mask 26 is removed. In the embodiment describedwith reference to FIGS. 8-10, the deeper recesses 28 a allow more stressmaterial 30 to be filled therein. This, in turn, provides for a greaterstrain concentration on the NFET, thus increasing the deviceperformance. Also, it should be understood that the processes describedwith reference to FIGS. 8-10 are also applicable for a PFET, i.e.,filling the recesses 22 with eSi:C material, protecting the NFET andetching the eSi:C in the recesses of the PFET and filling the formedrecesses with eSiGe.

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of an exemplary design flow 900 used forexample, in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and/or test. Designflow 900 may vary depending on the type of IC being designed. Forexample, a design flow 900 for building an application specific IC(ASIC) may differ from a design flow 900 for designing a standardcomponent. Design structure 920 is preferably an input to a designprocess 910 and may come from an IP provider, a core developer, or otherdesign company or may be generated by the operator of the design flow,or from other sources. Design structure 920 comprises an embodiment ofthe invention as shown in, for example, FIG. 7 or FIG. 10 in the form ofschematics or HDL, a hardware-description language (e.g., Verilog, VHDL,C, etc.). Design structure 920 may be contained on one or more machinereadable medium. For example, design structure 920 may be a text file ora graphical representation of an embodiment of the invention as shown inFIG. 7 or FIG. 10. Design process 910 preferably synthesizes (ortranslates) an embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 10into a netlist 980, where netlist 980 is, for example, a list of wires,transistors, logic gates, control circuits, I/O, models, etc. thatdescribes the connections to other elements and circuits in anintegrated circuit design and recorded on at least one of machinereadable medium. For example, the medium may be a CD, a compact flash,other flash memory, a packet of data to be sent via the Internet, orother networking suitable means. The synthesis may be an iterativeprocess in which netlist 980 is resynthesized one or more timesdepending on design specifications and parameters for the circuit.

Design process 910 may include using a variety of inputs; for example,inputs from library elements 930 which may house a set of commonly usedelements, circuits, and devices, including models, layouts, and symbolicrepresentations, for a given manufacturing technology (e.g., differenttechnology nodes, 32 nm, 45 nm, 90 nm, etc.), design specifications 940,characterization data 950, verification data 960, design rules 970, andtest data files 985 (which may include test patterns and other testinginformation). Design process 910 may further include, for example,standard circuit design processes such as timing analysis, verification,design rule checking, place and route operations, etc. One of ordinaryskill in the art of integrated circuit design can appreciate the extentof possible electronic design automation tools and applications used indesign process 910 without deviating from the scope and spirit of theinvention. The design structure of the invention is not limited to anyspecific design flow.

Design process 910 preferably translates an embodiment of the inventionas shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 10, along with any additional integratedcircuit design or data (if applicable), into a second design structure990. Design structure 990 resides on a storage medium in a data formatused for the exchange of layout data of integrated circuits and/orsymbolic data format (e.g. information stored in a GDSII (GDS2), GL1,OASIS, map files, or any other suitable format for storing such designstructures). Design structure 990 may comprise information such as, forexample, symbolic data, map files, test data files, design contentfiles, manufacturing data, layout parameters, wires, levels of metal,vias, shapes, data for routing through the manufacturing line, and anyother data required by a semiconductor manufacturer to produce anembodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 10. Designstructure 990 may then proceed to a stage 995 where, for example, designstructure 990: proceeds to tape-out, is released to manufacturing, isreleased to a mask house, is sent to another design house, is sent backto the customer

The methods as described above are used in the fabrication of integratedcircuit chips. The resulting integrated circuit chips can be distributedby the fabricator in raw wafer form (that is, as a single wafer that hasmultiple unpackaged chips), as a bare die, or in a packaged form. In thelatter case the chip is mounted in a single chip package (such as aplastic carrier, with leads that are affixed to a motherboard or otherhigher level carrier) or in a multichip package (such as a ceramiccarrier that has either or both surface interconnections or buriedinterconnections). In any case the chip is then integrated with otherchips, discrete circuit elements, and/or other signal processing devicesas part of either (a) an intermediate product, such as a motherboard, or(b) an end product. The end product can be any product that includesintegrated circuit chips, ranging from toys and other low-endapplications to advanced computer products having a display, a keyboardor other input device, and a central processor.

While the invention has been described in terms of embodiments, those ofskill in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced withmodifications and in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium fordesigning, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, the designstructure comprising: forming gate structures for an NFET and a PFET ona wafer; forming sidewalls on the gate structures for the NFET and thePFET using a same deposition and etching process; and providing stressmaterials in the source and drain regions of the NFET and the PFET. 2.The design structure of claim 1, wherein the design structure resides onstorage medium as a data format used for the exchange of layout data ofintegrated circuits.
 3. The design structure of claim 1, furthercomprising: forming, in a single masking process, recesses in source anddrain regions of the NFET and the PFET in the wafer; filling therecesses with a single type of stress material; blocking one of the NFETand the PFET; etching out the single type of stress material in thesource and drain regions of an unblocked one of the NFET and the PFET toreform recesses; and filling in the reformed recesses with a differenttype of stress material.
 4. The design structure of claim 3, wherein thesingle type of stress material is grown in the recesses and thedifferent type of stress material is grown in the reformed recesses. 5.The design structure of claim 3, wherein the recesses are formed by anetching process.
 6. The design structure of claim 5, further comprisingadditional etching of the recesses of one of the NFET and the PFET inorder to make the recesses of one of the NFET and the PFET deeper thanthe recesses of the other of the NFET and the PFET.
 7. The designstructure of claim 6, wherein: the single type of stress material iseSiGe; the different type of stress material is eSi:C; and the etchingout of the stress material is performed for the NFET.
 8. The designstructure of claim 6, wherein the single type of stress material iseSi:C; the different type of stress material is eSiGe; and the etchingout of the stress material is performed for the PFET.
 9. A designstructure embodied in a machine readable medium for designing,manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, the design structurecomprising: forming gate structures for an NFET and a PFET on the wafer;forming sidewalls on the gate structures for the NFET and the PFET usinga same deposition and etching process; forming recesses in source anddrain regions of the NFET and the PFET in the wafer; filling therecesses for the source and drain regions of the PFET with a first typeof stress material; filling the recesses of the NFET with the first typeof stress material, prior to filling with a second type of stressmaterial; blocking the PFET; etching out the first type of stressmaterial in the source and drain regions of the NFET; and filling in thesource and drain regions of the NFET with the second type of stressmaterial.
 10. The design structure of claim 9, further comprisingforming, in a single masking process, the recesses in the source anddrain regions of the NFET and the PFET.
 11. The design structure ofclaim 9, wherein the first type of stress material and the second typeof stress material are grown in the recesses in separate processingsteps.
 12. The design structure of claim 11, wherein the second type ofstress material is deeper than the first type of stress material. 13.The design structure of claim 9, wherein the first type of stressmaterial and the second type of stress material are eSiGe and eSi:C,respectively.
 14. The design structure of claim 9, further comprisingproviding additional etching of the recesses for the source and drainregions of one of the NFET and the PFET in order to make the recesses ofone of the NFET and the PFET deeper than the recesses of the other ofthe NFET and the PFET.
 15. The design structure of claim 9, wherein thedesign structure comprises a netlist.
 16. The design structure of claim9, wherein the design structure resides on storage medium as a dataformat used for the exchange of layout data of integrated circuits. 17.The design structure of claim 9, wherein the design structure resides ina programmable gate array.
 18. A structure comprising: gate structuresfor an NFET and a PFET having identically formed sidewalls; and stressmaterials in recesses in source and drain regions of the NFET and thePFET.
 19. The structure of claim 18, wherein the stress material for theNFET is eSi:C and the stress material for the PFET is eSiGe, wherein thestress material for the NFET is at a depth greater than the stressmaterial for the PFET.